Instinct
by Marauderish Mischief Maker
Summary: Set in Summer 2015. An ill grandmother, and a grown but wayward daughter bring Shane Donovan and Sami Brady back to Salem from LA just when Shane's granddaughter, Paige Larson needs them most. Is it fate or some inborn family instinct.
1. Chapter 1

**I read Ken Corday's 2016 interview about DAYS' declining ratings. As far as I'm concerned this happened for two reasons:  
1) The complete misuse of vets.  
2) Aging characters without knowing what to do with the new teen scene.**

 **My story starts in August 2015, around the time of Serena's murder.**

 _She was in Kyle's apartment, watching as he gaped at the open safe. "You think I'm an idiot, don't you, Paige?"  
"No, of course not! I don't know what you're talking about."  
"You think I don't know that JJ is hiding right behind the counter about to turn me into the Feds. I really don't want to hurt anyone, so it's a good thing this will be painless."  
JJ slumped to the ground._ _"Paige…"_  
"NO!"  
"Paige, wake up!"  
Paige Larson tried to even her breathing. As images of her bleeding ex faded from her vision, she focused an unsteady gaze on her worried roommate.  
"Daphne…did I wake you?"  
"Nope, I just got back from that party across campus. I would've invited you, but you've been kind of MIA lately."  
"Right," Paige sighed. "So, why are you back so early. I mean, it's barely after midnight."  
"Not soon enough, there was this drunk jerk who couldn't keep his hands off of me. Look, if you're sure you're okay, I'm going to get ready for bed."  
"You don't need to worry about me, " Paige assured. "But I have plenty to worry about," she thought, as the shower began to run in the next room. She wondered who had the unpleasant task of cleaning up after her mother before she born. Mostly likely, it had fallen to Grandpa.  
"That's it!" Paige snatched up her cell phone.  
To GRANDPA: SOS! Mom's at it again, and I think somebody's in trouble this time. Big trouble!


	2. Chapter 2

Shane Donovan rubbed his temples tiredly. "Gotten yourself into quite the fix, haven't you, Eve?"  
"I woke up and you weren't there," Kimberly growled seductively, wrapping her arms around her husband's neck. "And it looks like you've been up for hours. What was that about Eve?"  
"Look for yourself."  
Kim took the tablet from Shane and came around to join him on the sofa. "Dealing meth out of the Horton Center? That's just not possible, it's libel. Tom and Alice Horton must be turning in their graves."  
"I know."  
"And you think Eve did this?"  
"I wouldn't put it past her, would you?"  
"No, no I wouldn't."  
"Paige seems to think there's more. Apparently JJ Deveraux's turned DEA. They love people like him, dealers who have gone straight, but still look like they belong on the drug scene. It's an awfully thin, awfully dangerous line to be walking, especially when you think about what might happen if the secret got out…"  
"Eve might as well pull the trigger herself. Have you talked to Roman about this?"  
"No, but I think I'd better," Shane sighed, scrolling through his contacts until Roman's information appeared. He put the phone on speaker, the three subsequent rings echoing through the Donovans' living room.  
"Brady here."  
"Roman, it's Shane."  
"Shane, I'm glad you called. Look, we have a situation here in Salem."  
"I understand that. Eve did it, I'm afraid."  
"Eve did what? Are you talking about the article in _Sonix_?"  
"Unfortunately. Eve also has Paige under the impression that she's put your UC in jeopardy. And for the record, I believe her. She and her mother have their issues recently, but she's a level-headed girl."  
"So Kay tells me. I'll look into it right away."  
"Out of curiosity, what did you think I was talking about?"  
"Ma's in the hospital," Roman answered.  
"The hospital? What on earth for?"  
"She had a stroke. I'm sorry, Shane, but I've got to go. The place has been a zoo lately. I'll do that, bye."  
Roman waved a waiting Rafe into his office. "Detective, I need you hold down the fort."  
"Sure thing."  
"And Rafe, I'll be watching you, so don't let me down this time."  
This was no news to Rafe. After helping cover up Gabi's involvement in Nick Fallon's murder, he was pretty sure he would be on the commissioner's radar for a long time. "Yes, sir."


	3. Chapter 3

"Don't even answer it, JJ," Jennifer groaned, as a knock sounded from the foyer. "If the reporters want a statement from us they can call the Horton Center, and Aunt Maggie will tell them that I've already resigned from the board."

"You did? For God's sake, Mom, that makes it look like you think I'm guilty or something!"

Jennifer was horrified, as she took JJ's hand and led him to the couch. "Of course not. You know that your sister and I are behind you one thousand percent, you know that. Hopefully now that I've resigned, the press will accept their pound of flesh and let the center get back to its important work."

A muffled "I'm sorry, Mom," issued from JJ's slumped form, but Jennifer shook her head as the doorbell rang again—more impatiently this time.  
"You shouldn't be. This is not your fault. Do you understand me?"  
"They're not going away."  
"Oh, yes they are!" Jennifer threw the door open with more force than necessary. "For the last time, we have no comment!"  
"Good, keep it that way," Roman advised, entering the house behind Hope. "I'd ask how you were doing, but that would probably be a stupid question."  
"Probably," JJ agreed. "Can we just cut to the chase? You wouldn't be here if it wasn't important."  
"No, I wouldn't. Hope is the lead investigator on the drug surge. She's here to arrest you."  
"On what charges?" Jennifer gasped.  
"Possession with intent," Roman answered, gripping JJ's arm. "Make it look good," he hissed. "The house is bugged."  
JJ sighed but allowed Hope to lead him outside.  
"Do I need to get a lawyer?" Jennifer demanded, chasing Roman as he wandered into the living room. "Hey, you need to start talking!"  
Roman put his finger to his lips. He kneeled down, taking inventory of the baseboards. Recognition swept across Jennifer's face. She swept her fingertips across the mantel, moving picture frames out of the way.  
"Here!" she mouthed, giving Roman a glance of the object in her hand, before crushing it under her shoe.  
"If this is the only way you can keep my son safe, it sure as hell better work."


	4. Chapter 4

Vanessa Lennox lifted the driver's side visor, as she parked the driveway of the Donovans' Los Angeles estate, pausing to wave to Thatcher, who had taken up the position of Donovans butler three years ago after even Simmons couldn't deny that a second broken hip in as many years was cause for retirement.

The brunette woman in the driver's seat of the tinted car was an athletically built twenty-six-year-old rookie ISA agent, who had a background in education that made her well suited to tutor the three DiMera children, while helping to protect them from whatever vengeance Stefano had planned for their mother. Though, as far as Vanessa was concerned Sami DiMera had done the ISA a big favor by running off with the crime lord's fortune.  
"Everybody out," called Sami.  
"Finally. Aunt Hope doesn't make Ciara sit in the back."  
"And who told you that, Johnny?" Vanessa laughed, as she helped Sydney unbuckle the car seat.  
"See, Johnny, I told you she was bragging again."  
"I'm going to have to side with Allie on this one," said Sami. "You and Ciara will both be able to sit up front when you turn twelve."  
"It's still a stupid rule," Johnny muttered. "And that's two whole years from now."  
Vanessa shrugged "If you want to be an agent like me when you grow up, you should get used to rules."  
"Especially the stupid ones," sighed the bearded man who opened the door. "Party's out by the pool. Ambience and sunsets and stuff."  
"That's nice, Uncle Steve, but why did we all rush over here?"  
"Donovan has news."  
"You do?" Sami turned to the head of the table.  
"Well, yes, Kim talked to Kayla this morning."  
"Is Grandma Caroline okay?" Allie asked.  
"Don't worry about a thing, honey," Kim smiled, tweaking Allie's nose. "Aunt Kayla said she's going to get stronger every day, and we're going to check on her as soon as we get back to Salem."  
"We?" repeated Sami. "We who?"  
"Kimberly and I," Shane replied. "We'll be leaving tonight."  
"You won't be here for Labor Day," said Johnny sadly.  
"Well, we'll just have to swim tonight then, won't we?" Kim said.  
"Can we, Mommy?" the three kids chorused.  
Sami nodded indulgently. "Go get your extra suits from the guest wing."  
"Yay!"  
"'Yay!' Uncle Shane can I talk to you inside for a minute?" Shane excused himself and held the sliding glass door open. When they had stepped into the living room, he said, "What can I do for you, Sami?"  
"I'm going with you."  
"That's out of the question."  
"The kids might in the dark, but you and I both know that my brother was almost killed when that Xander Cook guy decided it was a good idea to take Eric and Nicole hostage. Although, I could've told Eric that woman would bring him nothing but grief."

Shane couldn't help but let out an animalistic groan of frustration. "Are you seriously trying to tell me that you see Nicole Walker as your biggest threat right now."

"Oh come on, Uncle Shane. Stefano wouldn't hurt me."  
"Wouldn't he?"

"Not it meant leaving _Giovanni_ and Sydney orphans. _La famiglia_ is too important to him."

"Be that as it may, Stefano isn't our only risk."  
"The ISA has no proof that Andre is even alive!"  
"If that were true they wouldn't have seen fit to call me out of retirement to partner with Steve, or to give you such an elaborate cover story as a Hollywood movie deal with Phillip Collier's production company. A cover complete with an ISA-trained nanny. Now, we've confirmed movement at a known DiMera medical facility, and we've traced a seven-figure money transfer from Stefano himself to an off shore account there.

"Good, I have a few things I want to say to Andre too if he shows his sorry face. So when do we leave?"  
"Good God, Sami! Since you obviously haven't been listening to a bloody word I've said, I suppose—" Shane took a measured breath. "I suppose the only thing left for you to do is say goodbye to the children."  
"Throw Nessa next," Sydney giggled, as she landed with a splash a foot away from Steve.  
"Me?" Vanessa stuck her tongue out at the girl, making Kim and Allie laugh.  
"They're back," Johnny called, as two lengthy shadows rippled across the pool. "What's wrong, Mommy?"  
"There's something I need to talk to you about. Before we left Salem, I made a promise to Uncle Eric that if he ever needed me really badly, I'd come back right away. And we know how important promises are, right?" The kids nodded. "Well, now that's a promise that Mommy needs to keep, so I'll be going to Salem tonight too."  
"Without us?" asked Sydney, her lip trembling.  
"You have to stay here, but Uncle Steve and Vanessa will be here too, and I'll call you every…who's phone is that?"  
"Uh-oh, speaking of calling." Kim quickly draped herself in a towel. "Don't hang up, don't hang up, hello? `Oh hi. When was this? No, you stay right there, I'll come right over. Bye."  
"Patient emergency?" said Shane knowingly.  
"I'm afraid so. When does the flight leave?"  
"Four hours."  
"Well, gang, it looks like I'm staying here, too."


	5. Chapter 5

Kim stood silently in the back doorway watching the hunched silhouette of her former brother-in-law.  
"Pictures really do last longer," Steve said softly.  
"Guess I'm caught. I just never pegged you for a stargazer, Steve Johnson."  
"Well, I am a man of mystery. Are the kiddies asleep?"  
"Like little angels. As a matter of fact, Mr. Mysterious, I happen to know that as much as you're pretending to be out of your element, those children can't get enough of you."  
"Is that right?"  
"Oh, yeah. Not that I'm surprised."  
"No?"  
"Not a bit. I saw you with Max when he was growing up. When I was working with him on his speech, you were one subject, probably the one subject he wasn't shy about. "  
"Here we go with the speech."  
Kim started, taken aback by his sudden change of tone. "What speech, Steve?"  
"The whole 'Steve is great with kids, as long as he gets to be the cool uncle, but when it comes to dealing with his own kid…no, that's too much responsibility for the dude to handle and he runs away.'"  
"That wasn't what I was going to say at all. Actually, I understand you more than you think I do."  
"And now you're going to explain me to me. Are these billable hours?"  
"I'd forgotten what a kick you get out of being frustrating! Now, since you're the one who brought it up, do you want to hear what I have to say or not?"  
Steve beckoned impatiently.  
"It's instinct to want to protect you children, any parent would want that, and for an agent, a lot of times, that means keeping your distance. Adventure's not the only drug in the ISA, there's distance, detachment, numbness. That pragmatic lack of emotion, it's appealing to some people, but it's going to be different this time. There's a good chance this mission will put you in Kayla's orbit again, and Steve, this time, you won't be able to run."  
Sami turned down the volume on the car radio. "Even with the time change, we missed visiting hours at the hospital."  
"I know the waiting is hard, but none of them—Caroline, Eve, Eric, Paige—none of them are going anywhere."  
"You never finished telling me about Paige, is she my cousin?"  
"No, Frankie's not her father, though he would have been a better choice for them both."


	6. Chapter 6

Sami gazed at her grandmother's still form through the closed blinds of Caroline's hospital room. "She looks so peaceful, I'm almost scared to wake her." She yawned. "I'm having a little trouble staying awake myself."  
Shane nodded in agreement. "Shall I search for something caffeinated?"  
"I could really go for some coffee."  
"You've got it."  
Sami tiptoed into the room and took her grandmother's hand in her own. "Hi," she whispered, as Caroline's eyes fluttered open. "I'm home."  
"No," said Caroline. "You're—you're dead. Colleen Brady is dead."  
"Grandma," Sami called frantically as the monitors began to beep. "Grandma!"

* * *

"Hey, Daniel."  
Daniel Jonas looked up from the chart Maxine was showing him. "Eric, you look good, man, after…"  
"After what Xander put Nicole and I through. I'm all right, just thought I'd come by and take Mom out to eat."  
"And there's no one with whom I would rather keep company," Marlena smiled. "Maxine, if anyone comes looking for me would you call me on my cell. We'll be over at the pub."  
"Sure thing, and make sure to tell Dr. Brady to take her sweet time. I thought Hope might arrest her if she didn't agree to eat some real food."  
"Good for Hope," Marlena sighed. "This has all been especially hard on Kayla."  
"How's Grandma doing?" Eric wanted to know, but a rapidly beeping monitor drowned out Daniel's answer.  
"Oh dear," breathed Marlena. "That's Caroline's room."  
"She's seizing," Daniel snapped. Maxine, Marlena, and Eric rushed after him. As he rounded the corner, Eric froze, gazing dumbstruck at the sight in front of him. "Uncle Shane, Sami!" The blonde accepted a handkerchief from Shane and turned her tearstained face toward her mom and her brother. She waited no less than a beat before rushing into Eric's arms.  
Marlena rubbed Sami's back in circular motions. "Oh, my darling girl. You don't know how glad I am to see you, both of you."  
"Reunite later," ordered Maxine. "How did this happen?"  
"It seems Sami startled her," Shane replied. "Excuse me, my granddaughter's calling."  
"I didn't mean to!" Sami spluttered. "I was sitting with her and then the machines…they started freaking out. Mom, she-she called me Colleen."  
"She is forgetting names more often lately," Marlena reported sadly. "Look, the best thing we can do for Caroline right now is to give Daniel and Maxine their space. She'll need rest more than anything."  
"Why don't we all go to the pub and make this a real welcome home," Eric offered. "Uncle Shane?"  
"What? Oh, yes, that's fine, but I wouldn't expect your father or Hope to join us. Two bodies just turned up in the square."


	7. Chapter 7

"Move on, move on, nothing to see here!" Abe Carver was shepherding crowds of onlookers away from the taped off crime scene. "Except you, Eric, your dad wants to see you at the station. I'm sorry to tell you this, but Serena…she was one of the victims."  
"Abe, you don't think Eric did this?"  
"Hello to you too, Sami. Not necessarily, but Eric knew Serena best."  
"Except for Xander," Eric countered.  
"Hope is at the Kiriakis mansion as we speak," said Abe, "and someone's questioning Nicole as well. Officer, can you take Mr. Brady to the station, please?"  
"Yes, Mr. Mayor."

* * *

"Can we get you a ride back to your dorm, Miss Larson?"  
"Don't worry, Commissioner, I'll walk.  
Roman shrugged. "Take care of yourself," he called, before turning to Eric. "Appreciate you coming in like this, son. Close the door, will ya?"  
Eric complied, while Roman placed a recorder on the table. "This is Commissioner Roman Brady questioning Eric Brady, the ex-boyfriend of victim Serena Mason. The date is August 27, 2015. All right, Eric, let's start with where you were last night."  
"I was at home."  
"Talk to anyone who can verify that?"  
"I texted Belle back."  
"Belle being your younger sister Belle Brady?"  
"Yes. I'll help you any way I can, just promise me you'll find out what happened to Serena."  
Roman paused the recorder. "From where I'm standing, it looks drug-related. She was found in an area frequented by known dealers. As far as you know, was she into anything other than diamonds?"  
"That doesn't sound like Serena, but neither did diamond smuggling. She wasn't the girl I knew in Africa."  
"That much seems clear," Roman agreed. "Go catch up with the family. Tell your sister I'll be there as soon as soon as I can."  
"I will. Rafe."  
"Eric," Rafe greeted as he entered the bullpen.  
"Autopsies," Roman guessed, taking a folder from Rafe's hand. "Did you question Nicole?"  
"Alibi checks out. She's not good for it."  
Roman leafed through the reports. "Neither vic has genital trauma or drugs in their system, but Kyle Southern had a heart condition. Explains the dealing, all those medical bills. He finds Serena's body…"  
"…and is literally scared to death," Rafe finished, "but then, who killed her?"


	8. Chapter 8

As Paige walked through Horton Square, her mother's face flashed onto her incoming call screen with a wide smile that made Paige want to be sick. "You just don't get it, do you, Eve? Decline for the thousandth and last —mph, mph!"  
"Don't you scream now," a man whispered.  
Paige could hear her heartbeat in her ears, as adrenaline began to course through her.  
 _"Use your senses!"_ Grandpa would say.  
She tried to think…it was dark, instantly dark. This kind of darkness didn't come from the passage of time, but from the sun being blocked.

"Arggh!" the man cried out, pulling his hand away so fast that all that remained between Paige's teeth was a piece of sodden and slightly bloody piece of fabric. "Why you little…" Her vision clouded as he slapped her across the face. "Dead girls don't bite."  
It was harder to breathe by the second. Every time she gasped and spluttered he pushed more.  
Paige's eyes felt heavy.  
"GET OFF OF HER!"  
A female voice.  
The man cried out like a wounded animal.  
"It's you! You killed my husband!"  
And then, darkness.


	9. Chapter 9

"She's so pale, Kim," Shane hissed moving away from Eve and Roman, so that his hysterical daughter couldn't hear. "I haven't told Eve yet, but Paige coded in the ambulance."  
"Oh my God," whispered Kim. Her image on Shane's tablet shook as badly as her hands.

"It was touch and go for a while there."  
"And now?"  
"Unconscious, but stable according to Kayla."  
"Well, she's a Donovan, a fighter, who happens to be in the best hands possible. You have to hold onto that, Shane."  
"The things I want to hold right now are my wife and my family."  
"Boy, does that sound good," Kim sighed.  
"Sorry to burst your bubble, baby, but we're not going anywhere any time soon," Steve informed the travellers. "I can't fly with a tropical storm warning."  
"We can still watch a movie," said Vanessa. "Whose turn is it to pick?"  
"Mine," Sydney called.  
"No!" Johnny huffed. "She always picks a princess movie."  
"No girly movies," Steve agreed.  
"Very helpful, Steve, thank you." Kim rolled her eyes. She leaned towards Sydney and said in a conspiratorial whisper "You know, honey, I think I can get the boys to change their minds about fairytales, and my idea just might give Uncle Shane's mind something else to do other than worry. Time to dust off your storytelling skills, Cap'n."

"Now?"

"Otherwise, you'll just pace around waiting for Kay to give you news. I know you too well."

"All right, let me think, this is a story about…"

"The time you and Rafe were in jail together," Johnny called out

"I'm afraid that's above your security clearance." Shane replied with what—in a less dire situation—would've been considered amusement. "There's always the story of the Alamainian Coin, a treasure from far distant land. All in favor."

Everyone on the grounded plane raised their hand, except for Steve, "Personally I prefer when your stories involve Steven Hood, maybe he can come back into the picture as a very cool harp-playing minstrel?"

Vanessa arched an eyebrow. "The rest of us would rather not picture you in tights, Johnson."

"Oh-ho, I think milady doth protest too much."

"Once upon a time," said Kim, raising her voice above the pair.

"…the kingdom of Olde Salem was rejoicing in the homecoming of its brave King John, no one more so than his Queen. Though fair, of course, the Queen's crowning glory was the kindness and compassion with which she ruled the land. The homecoming celebrations were in full swing, when a shriveled old wizard appeared in a puff of purple smoke. He grabbed Queen Marlena by her cape, and addressed the king, "Surrender the fruits of your quest or find your family in grave peril.

The three children looked at the uncle with wide eyes.

"Sorry to interrupt during a good part," called Roman, "It is a helluva story, but somebody wants to see you in the chapel, Shane."


	10. Chapter 10

Even though Shane wasn't a particularly religious person, he felt compelled to say a prayer for Paige before entering the chapel. Crossing himself quickly, he was surprised as someone wrapped him in a hug.  
"Sami," He returned the hug briefly, before taking hold of her shoulders. "What is it?"  
"I wanted to tell you…I just wanted you to know how sorry I am. I don't know what I would do if Arianna was in that hospital bed. I probably wouldn't leave her side."  
"I certainly don't intend to leave Paige's side soon, that's for sure, but what about you?"  
"What about me?" Sami looked nonplussed  
Shane took her hand in his and examined it. "That's quite a cut you've got there and it seems to be fresh."  
"Oh that, it's nothing," assured Sami, but Shane could see drying blood on the gauze that someone had secured around Sami's thumb and three of her fingers. He raised his eyebrows, studying Sami quietly, before taking a seat in an empty pew facing her.

"You know, I overheard your father briefing the hospital staff. Roman told Kayla that the person who attacked my granddaughter would have a nasty gash somewhere on their face as if they had been pistol-whipped. Now, I highly doubt her attacker would seek medical attention so openly, but the person who handled the gun might."  
"Yeah," said Sami quietly. "They might."  
Shane stood and shuffled his feet. "Sami, I know I wasn't around when you were growing up, and that we haven't had much—if anything—to say to each other since, but I'll always be grateful to you for saving my Paige's life."  
"I know what it's like to lose someone you love," Sami sighed, and Shane could see a genuinely wounded look in her eyes. "I gave Dad my statement. It isn't much, but hopefully, they can get the guy before he can hurt someone else. Whoever he is."  
"I hope Paige can enlighten us," remarked Shane.


	11. Chapter 11

"You sure no one knows about this place?" Clyde Weston winced as Ben placed some gauze on his cheek.  
"It belongs to Abigail's family," Ben replied, "but who would suspect the sainted Hortons? This cut looks pretty deep, Dad. You might need stitches"  
"Serves him right if you ask me."  
"No one did, you little punk, so watch your mouth! I don't know what the womenfolk see in that stupid little accent of yours."  
"Have I struck a nerve, Weston?" Xander laughed. "Is your ego as bruised as your face?"  
Clyde lunged toward Xander, catching his arm and twisting it behind his back. "I'll knock your block off, boy!"  
Xander twisted free, swiping at Clyde with his free hand. "We had a deal, I expand your smalltime operation by providing your dealers with pharmaceuticals, and you, Clyde, dispose of Serena Mason and Caroline Brady."  
"Mason's dead, isn't she?" Clyde growled.  
"And yet Caroline Brady is still kicking," Xander drawled. "How hard is it to disconnect some machinery? "  
"What do you want with an old lady, anyway?" Ben asked blocking his father from attacking Xander a second time.  
"I did my research. Were this particular old lay to die, it would bring dear Uncle Victor to his knees. Not to mention, targeting the old bat would be a lot easier than wasting my valuable time and energy tracking down that son of theirs. _He's_ so far off the grid, his own wife and daughter have given up on him!"  
"Well, I did my research too," Clyde countered. "The little Larson girl means a hell of a lot to the commissioner's sister. That counts for something in my book.  
"That, or the fact that she happens to be the girlfriend of your useless employee," said Xander.  
"That's a bonus."  
"It would have been if you had managed to kill her. Now, it's just a fatal miscalculation."  
"I'm not afraid of Agent Donovan."  
"But you should be. Not the Captain, the other one."  
"There ain't another Donovan!"  
"Believe what you want, Weston, I can't wait to see the show."

Please Review


	12. Chapter 12

_**Please Review**_

Abigail breathed a sigh of relief as she exited her Aunt Kayla's office and dialed a number. "Hey, Aunt Maggie, it's me. How are things in England? No, you don't need to cancel your plans with Mel, I just wanted to thank you for making sure Julie remembered to bring up my reinstatement to the board while you were gone. Aunt Kayla wants me at the next meeting when they talk about it."  
"Pssst," JJ popped his head around the corner and beckoned to his sister. "Abs."  
"What? No, Aunt Maggie, not you, I've got to go. Someone's trying to get my attention." Abigail waited until the call disconnected before whipping her head around to face JJ. "What are you doing here?" she hissed.  
"I need a favor," JJ looked at the phone in her hand. " _Another_ favor. I gave the uniform following me the slip."  
"Obviously." Abigail felt herself being pulled ahead by the wrist. "Do I at least get to know where I'm going?"  
"Just stay out here and keep watch while I see Paige."  
Abigail's face softened. "JJ…"  
"You think somebody else is going to give me a straight answer about how she's doing? I've already tried asking. Ten minutes, Abs, please?"  
"Ten minutes," said Abigail softly.

* * *

"Detective Brady, thanks for meeting me." A slim black woman in uniform shook hands with Hope.  
Hope shrugged. "JJ wasn't too happy about a shadow. Sometimes he needs a good talking—where is JJ, Officer Price?"  
"It looks like he ran off."  
"You know, I really shouldn't be so surprised that JJ would pull something like this. That woman in the hospital…they were close, together, actually."  
"He must've really cared for her,"  
"I don't think he ever stopped."

* * *

I'm sorry, Paige. For what happened…for everything that happened…" JJ swiped furiously at his eyes. "I know you thought what I was doing was stupid and dangerous, but I really was doing it to protect the people I care about. My mom. My sister. You."  
"Right," Eve's voice dripped with sarcasm. "You cared about my daughter so damn much that you landed her in this bed!"  
" _You're_ blaming _me_ for this?" cried JJ, standing up.  
"You're the only degenerate I see in this room," Eve replied. "I've been with enough of them over the years to know something like this would happen eventually. I warned Paige over and over again, but she wouldn't hear it."  
"That's because nothing would've happened if you hadn't blown my cover with Kyle Southern!" JJ shot back.

"Why don't you run off and find your stoner friends? You may even convince that girl you've crawled back to that you need some of her old-fashioned comforts. I've seen her sniffing around again, bless her desperate little heart."  
"Hey!" JJ wasn't sure where his Aunt Kayla had come from so suddenly but it was lucky she was standing in between them or he might have done something he would regret later. "That's enough!"  
"Tell that to your interloping nephew," Eve muttered, blowing a strand of hair out of her face.  
"Let's go, JJ," Hope called from the doorway.  
JJ didn't move.  
"Go home, baby," Kayla whispered a sympathetic note in her voice. "I promise I'll let you know if anything changes."  
"I'm not going anywhere with Hope," JJ snapped. "The Salem PD wasted a guard on me when they should have been protecting Paige. You want to blame somebody, Eve, blame them."


	13. Chapter 13

JJ threw his keys down on the couch. He should've reasoned with Hope, told her he couldn't possibly go home and be a good little boy because he had another pressing engagement. If he had been thinking straight he would've insisted on waiting for Abigail's board meeting to be over. No, that wouldn't have worked. Hope was many things, but stupid wasn't one of them. She would see through that in a second. JJ scrolled through the pictures on his phone, coming to a video he hadn't had the heart to delete after his breakup.

 _JJ had just finished strumming when he heard a click go off behind him. "I found your phone," Paige grinned._

" _You've been tap—come on, gimme it."_

 _Paige allowed JJ's fingers to hover above the case before she pulled it out of his reach. "Missed," she said sweetly._

" _But I never miss twice," he said playfully, satisfied when Paige moved to duck behind the couch. "Yeah, you'd better run, Larson."_

 _She had, making JJ chase her around the couch for almost ten minutes, before they'd both fell back onto to the couch in a giggling mass of limbs. One of JJ's hands held the phone high above his head like a trophy, while he tickled Paige's side with the other. "All r—right, I give."_

 _JJ smiled as he put his phone on the end table and pulled his girlfriend onto his lap. "How long were you taping me, anyway?"_

" _Not long, just enough so that when you're a big star, I can say 'I knew you when.'"_

" _Oh yeah?" JJ stroked Paige's hair as she put her head to rest just below his chin. "And how exactly did I rise to stardom?"_

" _Well, you made a Ewe Tube video of you playing guitar that went completely viral and now you're the new Justin Bieber."_

 _JJ's bare chest vibrated with laughter. "Seriously, you look at me and think teen idol?"_

 _Paige giggled. "I'll think of a better example."_

" _Please do."_

" _As soon as you agree to sing something with me."_

" _Sing…as in you and me?"_

" _Well, yeah, I thought it would be fun, but if you don't want to…what?"_

 _JJ swallowed his laugh. "I've never seen anyone try to talk that fast."_

" _Shut up," Paige blushed._

" _But then how are we supposed to sing together. Just us, though, not that someone like me would go viral anyway, I've played family occasions and that's about it._

* * *

The memory was so clear; it was as if it had happened yesterday. JJ was pretty sure he still knew the words to the song Paige had picked too. It was a country tune called "Picture", which probably wasn't one of her favorites anymore since it had practically prophesied their break up. JJ hadn't uploaded the video or even thought about the channel again, but maybe this was the way to let Paige know he was thinking about her without Eve's interference. Positioning his guitar, he took a breath and pressed record. "Um, hi. Someone I really care about talked me into starting this channel, so I'd like to dedicate this first cover to her. This is _Fix You_ by Coldplay."

 _When you try your best, but you don't succeed_

 _When you get what you want, but not what you need._

Roman slammed the Necktie Killer's case file down on his desk, causing a few papers to flutter to the floor. When he sat back up, he was face to face with three of his grandchildren and their distraught-looking aunt.

 _When you feel so tired, but you can't sleep_

 _Stuck in reverse_

Steve seemed to notice there was more the siblings had to say to each other because he quickly shepherded the kids out of the room with the suggestion they all go find Rafe so that the children could make introductions. Kim forced herself to wait until they were gone before releasing a sigh.

 _And the tears come streaming down your face_

 _When you lose something you can't replace._

"Tell me you have something new in Paige's case."

"God, I wish I could, Marlena's still working on a profile."

"Maybe I'll help her along," Kim mused, trying to blink away the wetness in her eyes.

Roman begrudgingly released her, holding up a finger as he answered his phone. "Looks like Paige helped herself," he told Kim after hanging up. "Lab's got a hit on some bloody cloth found at the scene." He pulled his sister back into his arms. "It's gonna be okay, Kimmie. Let me drop you at the hospital."

 _When you love someone, but it goes to waste_

 _Could it be worse?_

Shane sat on the edge of the hospital bed holding Eve's free hand in his own.

They looked up briefly as Kim walked into the room. "Roman thinks he has a lead," she whispered.  
"Did you hear that, honey?" Eve sniffed. "They're going to catch the person who did this to you. Do you think she can hear me?"  
"I know she can," Kim said softly, reaching over to smooth Paige's hair. "We're here, sweetheart."  
"You mum, Kim, and me, so why don't you open those beautiful eyes?"

 _Lights will guide you home_

 _And ignite your bones_

 _And I will try_

Eve gasped. "Paige?"  
"Darling?" Shane called. Her eyes fluttered a second time. "Kim, go get Kayla!"

 _To fix you_


	14. Chapter 14

**Happy 4th of July everyone. Here's another chapter**

Kayla's eyes were full of compassion, her jaw set and determined. It was the look she had had on her face from the moment Eve rushed out of Paige's room—before Kim could say more than her sister's name—screaming that her daughter was gasping for air. It was the same look that had always managed to give Kim some measure of comfort and calm. Even now, as fear for the girl she considered just as much her own granddaughter as Shane's crawled and twisted in the pit of her stomach. Not for the first time in her life, she was glad to have her sister with her in a crisis. Kim could only hope she projected half the confidence in a squeeze of Shane's hand, as she heard in Kayla's voice:  
"Daniel, I need you in here, now!"  
"A surgeon?" Eve spluttered. "My little girl needs surgery…what are you putting in her  
IV?"  
"General anesthesia," Kayla replied. "A tracheotomy's a simple procedure, but we will need you to sign some forms. Get the Lidocane," she instructed Daniel.  
"Get the what?" Eve cried, as Shane pulled her from the room and closed the door behind Kim.  
Maxine came around the nurses' desk. "Ms. Larson, you need to sign the highlighted areas."  
Eve snatched the clipboard from her hands. "Will someone please give me a damn answer? What the hell is Lido—whatever?"  
"Lidocane is a numbing agent," Marlena explained. "I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to overhear, but I can wait with you if you like."  
"Please," whispered Shane.  
"Thank you. Eve, I promise I will do anything I can to help you."  
"You wanna help me, Marlena, tell me what's going on in there."  
"All right. I expect Paige experienced some tracheal trauma from the strangulation. If I were Kayla and Daniel, I would insert a trach tube to help her breathe."  
"Is it permanent?" Eve asked.  
"No, but she will eventually need speech therapy."  
Shane stood up.  
"Daddy, where are you going?"  
"I'm going to call Marcus Hunter at Hollywood Regional. See who he recommends in the field."

* * *

Ben pulled his surgical mask up higher so that no one would hear him laugh at the astonishingly stupid hospital staff. "And now you, ' _Abigail Deveraux, Public Relations Assistant,_ you are going to get us exactly what we want." He held the ID card up to the scanner, and the locked door of the medicine room opened. "This is almost too easy…"

* * *

"I still don't like the idea of Paige being questioned," Eve sighed.  
"No mama likes hearing what I'm about to say," Kimberly allowed, "but your baby's a woman now. A woman with plenty of birthdays ahead of her, because she's gonna make it out of this mess. Your father's using his connections to bring in some of the best specialists on both sides of the pond."  
"You're right. I…I should focus on that."  
"Yeah."  
"Eve, what if I talked to her?" Marlena offered. "Nothing formal, just to see how she feels about all of this."  
"I guess that would be all right. Would you, Marlena?"

Paige propped herself higher on the pillows as Marlena entered her hospital room. "I'm glad to see that your surgery went so well. May I sit?"  
Paige gestured to the chair at her bedside. She reached for the dry erase board next to her: " _What do you need, Dr. Evans?"_  
"Well, your mother asked me to have a chat with you. The Salem PD wants to send someone over to talk to you about the attack. Would you be all right with that?" _  
"'Do I have a choice?'"_ Marlena read. "There's always a choice. If you're uncomfortable I'll certainly make the recommendation that you do this some other time or not at all."  
 _"I didn't his face."_  
"I understand that. Detective Hernandez has some recordings he'd like you to listen to. A voice line-up, but only if you're up to it."  
 _"Okay."_  
"Okay?"  
 _"Yeah. Send him in."_  
"I'll leave you two to it, then."

Paige had listened to four recordings and the man who attacked her; whose voice chased her through her dreams was still out there.  
" _That's not him_ ," she wrote. " _None of them are_!"  
Rafe knew now that they had been wrong to write Clyde Weston off as some redneck from Poplar Bluff, when it was clear he had a Houdini-like talent for escaping. Luckily, Hope had managed to send him a voice recording of Clyde from Florida where he was—surprise, surprise—a person of interest in a murder.  
"All right," said Rafe. "Voice number five."  
Paige grabbed the dry erase board, poised to ask if this would be the last one, but the gravelly-sounding voice of a man who'd had one too many cigarettes made her heart drop. Whatever he was really saying went over her head, as the echoes of her attack rang in her ears.  
 _"Dead girls don't bite…dead girls don't bite…"  
_ She burst out of the room feeling as unsteady as a baby colt. Kim caught her before she could fall, "I've got you, shhh, I've got you. You're safe now."  
"Paige, I have to ask you one last thing."  
"Haven't you done enough," Eve snapped, but Rafe ignored her.  
"Paige, how do you know that man?" he asked. Without hesitation, Paige moved her hands toward her throat. "All right, we're gonna get him."  
"Thank you, Rafe," Kim whispered. He nodded, speaking into his walkie-talkie as he walked away.  
"This is Hernandez. I need someone to bring Weston in."

* * *

Ben froze as he finished picking the cabinet's emergency override lock. He hadn't counted on tripping a silent alarm. Maybe the people who worked here weren't as dumb as they'd seemed. His pulse quickening, he grabbed an indiscriminate handful of pill bottles and stuffed them into his briefcase. When he was sure that the dope of detective, Hernandez, was gone, he sidled through the emergency exit.


	15. Chapter 15

"I thought you would never answer the door."  
Will was used to Zoe's dramatics. He stepped back to let her pass. "Come in, before Arianna wakes up."  
"Oh, Will, the next scoop I have for you is so much bigger than beddy-bye," Zoe assured him, taking a seat on the couch. She scanned his expression. "You really have no idea what's going on, do you? I thought your mother of all people…well... I thought she would be thrilled. She is back, right?"  
"Yeah," Will nodded. "Mom's back. What's the story, Zoe?"  
"There's been a robbery at the hospital—"  
"Wait, what?" Will gasped.  
"Drugs, apparently. They've been on the rise around here, but clearly, you've been living under a rock."  
"No, I've just been kind of busy since Sonny went to visit his brother."  
"Right, " Zoe drawled. "I forgot about daddy daycare. Anyway, I want you to cover the story."  
"Why me?"  
"Why _not_ you! You're one of our best writers."  
"So this has nothing to do with my Aunt Kayla being chief of staff?"  
"Well, it doesn't hurt to have an inside source," Zoe confessed. "Look, when I brought you that tip about The Horton Center, you said you wouldn't do any other stories about your family."  
"Yeah, and I meant it."  
"But that excludes half the town," Zoe reasoned. "I admire your principles, really I do, but you need to be realistic. I'm offering you a freebie, here. An easy way to get back on your feet."  
"Back on my feet?" Will repeated.  
"Sweetheart, this will be the second story in a row you turned down. If the powers that be start thinking that you've lost your nerve…let me put it this way, I hope Sonny's back from Phoenix before rent's due. Think about it."  
Will couldn't think of much else as he stared at the closed door, and he was relieved to hear Ari cry out "Daddy!"  
He went to her. "How about we go for a walk, hmmm. Daddy could use the fresh air."

* * *

Abigail walked through Horton Square barely aware of where she was going. The sound of Will's voice snapped her rudely out of her daze. "Hey, Ari, look who it is. Can you say 'hi' to Abigail?"  
"Hi," chirped Arianna.  
"Hey, sweetie." Abigail pasted a smile onto her face. "Whoever got into the medications room used my ID," she whispered as she sat down, "and ever since that stupid Sonix article said JJ was dealing again…"  
"Timing seems a little convenient," Will observed.  
"That's what I said to Seth Burns," said Kayla, coming across the square. "I convinced him to put you on leave, Abigail. Paid leave, pending an investigation."  
"But that's just a formality…I mean, thank you, Aunt Kayla, but I won't stop passing out my résumés. All Seth Burns cares about is the image of the hospital."  
Kayla nodded. "That's why I've tendered my resignation as chief of staff. "  
"What?" the cousins chorused. Abigail found her voice first. "No, Aunt Kayla. I can't let you do that."  
"Drugs—painkillers, no less, have disappeared on my watch. I was going down anyway. Besides," Kayla swung Arianna into her lap and sat down in the vacant chair. "I was getting tired of the politics. All of the donor schmoozing and the board meetings, who needs it, you know? What I need to be doing is taking care of my mother and my son. It's not like I'm going to be out on the street, either. The free clinic always needs doctors, and I could go back to my roots. Cheer up, honey, really. Think of Anne Milbauer's face when she finds out that Daniel is her new boss. I'll see you guys later, okay?"  
"Bye," Will said, accepting Ari back from his aunt. "What's wrong?" he asked Abigail. "You get to clear your name, this is good news."  
"It doesn't matter. If it's in print, it's gospel."  
"We could discredit the original source," Will suggested hoping Zoe would trade one gritty exposée for another. "Do you have any idea who that might be?"  
"The one person who hates my mom and JJ most. Eve Donovan."

* * *

Thank you, sorry I woke you up…Damn it," Will hung up the phone. "I just talked to the Barons' old neighbor in England. Eve's adoptive parents have been dead for years."  
"Great," Abigail scoffed, pouring a second glass of wine. "So, apart from a séance, how are we going to get any new dirt on Eve? Ever since she came to town, I just…I just feel like my dad can't rest in peace."  
"I get it" Will assured her. "Hey, maybe your dad's the key. Maybe the lawsuit wasn't the first time she tried to get her hands on his money."  
Abigail sipped her wine, thinking. "When I was growing up, Dad told me that he had everything a little boy could want when he was my age. Everything except love, and he certainly didn't get it from Eve either."  
"How much money did your grandfather have?" Will wanted to know.  
"I don't know," Abigail shrugged. "I remember that because it was one of the only things Dad said about the guy." She leaned over and typed "Deveraux" into the open Ewe Search browser on Will's laptop.  
Will looked. "There are articles about you, your dad, and JJ, and some senator named Harper."  
"That's must be it. My dad's middle name was Harcourt." Abigail clicked the link. "I don't believe this," she cried, and read on in a whisper. "'Senator Harper Deveraux's political career is eclipsed by the reign of terror he conducted in Salem under the serial killer alias The Riverfront Knifer. Deveraux targeted prostitutes and other women who he considered to be immoral, attacking ten. Five of the women—Eve Donovan, Gabrielle Pascal, Paula Carson, Kimberly Donovan, and the senator's own daughter-in-law, Kayla Brady Deveraux—survived. The senator met his demise at the hands of his adopted son, Jack, who claimed self-defense. Senator Deveraux's two million dollar fortune remained hotly contested for some time after his death.'" Abigail sighed. "It doesn't say if Eve was involved in taking the money."  
Will smiled. "It explains why she was so mad about the settlement. She's been cheated out of Deveraux money before."  
"You think it'll work?" Abigail asked.  
"I think Zoe will take anything that she thinks will beat Victor and Nicole." Will replied. "It's like you said: If it 's in print, it's gospel."


	16. Chapter 16

Will could hear the opening bars of "Belle" coming out of Arianna's bedroom as Abigail closed the door. "How much work do you think you can get done during _Beauty and the Beast_?" she asked, taking the cup of herbal tea he passed to her.

"Plenty. Listen, Abigail, I can't thank you enough for everything you've done for us while Sonny's been gone—"

"But you're ever-so-politely kicking me out. It's okay, I can take a hint."

"I was hoping you and the baby would take a much-needed rest, actually."

"Is someone afraid of our big bad aunt?" Abby chuckled as Will immediately raised his hand. "Seriously, though, getting my eight straight is a lot easier now that I'm back at Mom's house. No more red and green lights haunting my dreams."

"Just backstabbing ex-boyfriends," finished Will. "I wish I could tell you for certain that Ben wasn't the one who swiped your ID, but the best I can do is have the rest of your stuff out of the apartment by this afternoon."

"Thanks, I appreciate it." There was a noise in the hallway. Abigail put her teacup down and looked through the keyhole. "What's she doing here?"

"Who?"

"Officer Lani Price, Salem PD." The woman unclenched her about-to-knock fist and offered her hand to Will. "Mind if I come in, Mr. Horton?"

Will hesitated. "Do I know what this is about?" he asked, but Abigail shrugged as she took a seat on the couch.

"It's probably about JJ baiting Eve Donovan again," she replied, then turned to Lani, adding, "I can try to talk some sense into him, but you know by now he has a mind of his own, or you would know that if you were keeping track of him."

"Relax, your brother wanted to have a private talk with DA Kiriakis. JJ confides in you, doesn't he? I'm sure Ben Weston did as well."

"Not anymore. See, trust kind of implodes when someone gets obsessed enough to track the supposed love of their life's every move."

Lani sighed, debating whether she should ask what Will was sure was a loaded question. "Could I possibly…see your phone?"

"Not without a warrant, you can't!"

"Miss Deveraux, this may be crucial to cornering Ben Weston..."

Will spoke before Lani could go any further. "She just told you the tracking was the other way around. You're not going to get anything here, except a complaint to the commissioner, if you keep going. Or as I like to call him Grandpa."

* * *

Justin led JJ into his office. "To what do I owe the pleasure? I'd love to have a sit-down conversation, but I'm afraid you're gonna have to make this quick."

"Abby's been spending all of her time with Will and Ari because she promised Gabi she would look after them while Sonny was visiting Alex. Does that sound like some kind of hardened drug lord to you, Uncle Justin?"

"All I can tell you is that Seth Burns has yet to file charges."

"Because there won't be any, or because he just hasn't done it yet?"

"I don't know, JJ. What I do know is I have an entire police force poised to arrest Clyde Weston."

JJ's threw up his hands. "You guys don't have Weston yet?"

"Don't worry, it's only a matter of time before we find him."

"Yeah, you'll find him," JJ shouted. "You'll probably find him in Paige's hospital room trying to finish her off!"

"That's not gonna happen." Justin put a reassuring hand on JJ's shoulder.

"How do you know?"

"Because Shane Donovan has that place guarded to the hilt."

"Then how'd I get in there to visit her for ten minutes before anyone noticed, huh? Your phone's ringing "

"I hear it. And you need to hear something too…very clearly. The last thing your mother needs is both of her children in trouble."

JJ let out a bored sigh. He was not in the mood for lectures, so he slipped out while he uncle was distracted.

"Justin Kiriakis. Which cell tower? So the fugitive and his son on Smith Island."

* * *

It had taken twice as long to drive to the docks this way and JJ almost missed the ferry, because Roman had ordered roadblocks on all of the main highways for five miles. Luckily, for JJ, he and Abigail had spent their childhoods exploring back roads and winding pathways, so he had an inkling of where to go.  
"Put your hands up!"  
"Okay," JJ whispered. "Okay, I'll do whatever you want."


	17. Chapter 17

"You'll do whatever I want?" Hope put her gun back in the holster. "Why don't you start by telling me what you're doing here, JJ."  
"I called him," Roman replied, his features coming into relief as he stepped out of the shadows. "I'll take it from here."  
Hope shrugged, looking unhappy but outranked. "I'll go back to making notifications, then."  
JJ was grateful for the smooth lie and was about to say so when Roman spoke first. "Don't thank me. You're stuck here until the next ferry as it is. The way I see it: if you're old enough to risk your neck for the operation, then you're old enough to see it through. But you do it our way. No more sneaking up on armed people, understood? Put this on."  
JJ caught the Kevlar vest. "You think they're in our cabin."  
Roman shook his head. "They were until they started to feel the heat. Rafe found the abandoned stash. Stay back. I've got to let these campers know to shelter in place."  
JJ took cover in the overgrown flowerbed of the old Thompson place and watched as Roman knocked next door. Apparently satisfied that no one was home, he started in JJ's direction.  
Then it happened  
"Down!" Roman shouted, a bullet whizzing by his ear, as glass from the blown-out window of the shed behind him sprayed the ground.  
Footsteps approached the crouched men. "Look what we have here," Clyde drawled. "Sherlock Holmes and his pet rat."  
"Let the boy go, Weston," said Roman. "I'm all you need."  
"Thanks, but no thanks," Clyde laughed, grabbing Roman's service weapon off of the ground so that he was double-fisted. "See I have plans for him too. Inside, both of you!" JJ and Roman allowed themselves to be marched. "We've got guests," Clyde announced to Ben. "Tie Junior up."  
"Why are you doing this?" JJ asked Ben. "My sister is having your baby. Why would you and your dad set her up?"  
"The OB was clear at our last ultrasound. The baby is three weeks ahead of schedule, so I knew it wasn't mine. As for why, well, your sister's a cheating piece of trash."  
"Bastard," JJ growled.  
"Watch your mouth! Argghh!" Blowing air through gritted teeth, Clyde grasped his wounded shoulder, dropping both guns in the process. Hope and Rafe closed in on him, their own weapons drawn

"The police chief down in Florida can't wait to see you, Clyde," Hope smiled. "I bet we'll all be on her Christmas card list this year. Do you anything to say for yourself?"  
"For once in my life, I've done right by my son." The officers looked around, but Ben had disappeared into the woods.  
"JJ!" Roman shouted as the younger man gave chase.

* * *

JJ sped up when he heard a splash, ducking the last of the trees and coming into the clearing beside the bank of the Salem River. Not quite aware of himself or what he was doing, JJ dove in. "You don't…get out of this…that easy," he huffed, his jeans becoming waterlogged. "Help me!"  
"My God," Roman cried as he burst into the clearing. He waded out and helped JJ drag Ben's unconscious body to shore before starting compressions. "Breathe Ben, come on!"  
"Stones in his pockets," JJ reported.  
"Well, it's a good thing you got to him in time." Roman loo. ked up. "You did the right thing, you know. I don't know if I would've done that at your age."  
JJ shrugged. "I almost didn't, but all I was thinking about was how much he needed to pay for framing Abby and hurting Paige."  
"And now he will. This is Brady," Roman spoke into his walkie-talkie. "I need a medevac here on Smith Island, ASAP! Two suspects injured. CPR in progress. "  
"Copy that, Commissioner."

"I want this man on 24/7 suicide watch," Roman told the uniformed officer outside of Ben's room. "A crafty man who has lost his will to live is a bad combination."  
"Roman," Justin greeted.  
"Dr. Jonas hasn't cleared anyone for questioning yet."  
"We have a bigger problem. We drew Judge Tyler for Clyde's murder and attempted murder case, and he's all about defendants being able to face their accusers. Now, I can squeak past arraignment with Rafe backing up Paige's written statement but sooner or later, she'll have to testify in court."  
"Justin, be reasonable, the girl can't speak! You'll have to give her time."  
"Trust me, I argued the point, and I was promptly reminded of Clyde's right to a speedy trial. This was one of the worst judges we could have possibly gotten. I just hope this doesn't make us lose the case."  
"Here's a thought, Justin, don't let that happen."

* * *

Daniel took the blood pressure cuff of JJ's arm. "Well, the river beat you up a bit, but otherwise you're fine."  
"Great!" JJ jumped off of the exam table. "Now can you tell Mom that?"  
"You know what your mom's like," Daniel shrugged, "she just—"  
"Smothers?"  
"Worries, your mom worries. Especially when she's already stressed out, but once everybody finds out Abby didn't do the drug theft…hey, listen, are you still okay babysitting Parker? Because I have to warn you, he misses Paige. I've tried to explain to him why she can't babysit right now, but first, I'd have to explain it to myself."  
"I know the feeling," JJ remarked. "Don't worry, we'll be fine."  
"So will she," Daniel said, stopping JJ in his tracks. He let go of the doorknob and turned around to face Daniel, who continued, "I met with the speech specialist her grandfather called in from California. He seems like the type of guy who hits the ground running. Have faith, okay?"  
"Yeah, right," JJ muttered. "Faith."  
"I thought I heard your dulcet tones, nephew." JJ looked up to see his Uncle Steve sitting in the waiting area.  
"It's not my best day," he admitted. He swung his arm across his body and connected a sucker punch to Steve's good eye. "But now, I feel a hell of a lot better."  
Steve took a step back "What's the matter?" he chuckled. "Did you want us to have matching faces?"  
"There was a time when I might have been interested to know why you've decided to show up now, you know, instead of when Dad died and we really could've used you around here. But since I know you'll probably feed me a load of BS, I'll just cut to the chase and save both of us a lot of time. Get the hell out of Salem," JJ stomped off to the elevator.  
"You know the guy, Steve?" The voice belonged to a man with blond hair and a sharp, chiseled jaw.  
"You could say that" Steve answered. "Now it's my turn to ask the questions. How do know my name? Have you been following me, dude?"  
"Don't be paranoid."  
"Being paranoid is part of my job description."  
"Well, you can relax, my name is Nate Bridges and I work for Dr. Hunter."  
Steve's tone changed slightly. "Oh yeah? How's Hollywood treating the homie?"  
" I'll tell you over some grub. You should at least let me buy you a steak for that eye and maybe you could tell me what that was all about."  
"All right, you're on."


	18. Chapter 18

"I haven't seen my nephew since he was knee-high," Steve was saying as he and Nate walked across the square. "In the end, he's right. I should have come back when my brother died. But I just loved the open road. Enough of this introspective stuff, I starving." He pushed open the pub door.  
"Papa!" Joey shouted, hopping down from the bar stool and rushing into Steve's arms.  
"Little dude," Steve knelt down to accept his son. "Glad somebody's happy to see me."  
"Papa, what happened to your face?"  
"Oh, this? Just some old grizzly bear I was wrestling, that's all."  
Joey considered this—his face a mask of five-year-old concentration—then leaned closer to his father and whispered seriously, "I think the grizzly bear won."  
"So do I," Kim laughed, mussing Joey's hair as she came around the counter with an ice pack for Steve.  
"Who are you?" Joey asked when he heard Nate chuckle.  
"Nate is Uncle Marcus's friend," explained Steve. "What is it, baby?" he asked when Kim let out a gasp.  
"Sorry, I…I guess we'll be seeing a lot of each other. You're going to be treating my granddaughter, Paige. Anything you want, on the house."  
"Small town," Nate whistled.  
"Like living in a fishbowl," Steve agreed. "I wouldn't argue with her, dude. These Brady women are stubborn."  
"Mommy's a Brady," Joey piped up. "Is she stubborn too?"  
Steve directed his answer to Kayla, who was coming down the stairs from Caroline's apartment. "She will be if she doesn't join us."  
"Mr. Bridges," said Kayla, pointedly. "How are you liking the hospital?"  
"Call me Nate. My first day went pretty well, Dr. Brady."  
"Kayla. Say goodbye to Daddy, Joey, we're meeting Sonny and Aunt Adrienne for dinner. Will you keep an eye on Mama, Kimmie? She's resting."  
"Sure thing," Kim saw the question in Steve's eyes, and added, "I'll bet Arianna's one little girl who's happy to have her daddy back. I thought Will was expecting Sonny next week."  
"That was before things got a little...shorthanded at the club."

She didn't need to say anything else. Earlier that day, Roman had cut into the noon newscast to issue a prepared statement from Smith Island. No matter how many times he used words like "allegedly", Kayla knew her brother well enough to conclude that Ben Weston not only knew where his father had been hiding as the police had long suspected, but had somehow snuck out to join him during the night.

"Whoa," breathed Nate, watching Kayla and Joey leave.  
"Actually," smiled Kim, "That went better than I thought it would. Baby steps," she whispered to Steve as she got up to take another order.  
"You sure have good dinner theater here in Salem," said Nate. "My dad always said: 'Watch out for the nice ones.'"


	19. Chapter 19

Justin, Kim, and Shane ducked their heads in an attempt to plow their way through the crowd that had assembled on the courthouse steps. It seemed as if the entire town- and definitely the entire press corps- had turned out to see Clyde Weston be arraigned. "I feel like I'm back in LA," Kim whispered to Shane. "This is O.J. Simpson 2.0."  
"Although I'd bet you're hoping for a different outcome," Nicole guessed, putting a Titan TV microphone in Kim's face. "Does Clyde Weston deserve to die, Mrs. Donovan?"  
"Can the soulless be killed?" Kim replied.  
"An interesting point..."  
"And a perfect sound bite," interjected Justin. "Now go find the public defender and leave my clients alone."  
"One client seems to be missing. Where's Eve this morning?"  
"Ever think she's holed up somewhere waiting for you vultures to clear off," Sami snapped, swatting at the mic. "Take a hint, Nicole!"  
"Actually, that's a damn good question," Shane muttered.  
"Relax, honey, she'll be here soon," Kim looped her arm through his and pulled him into the building. "I think..."

* * *

Paige was sleeping, the only time she didn't object to her mother's presence in her hospital room. Eve placed a kiss on her daughter's temple and hurried to the corner before her buzzing phone could disturb the peace.  
"You've been a naughty girl, Evie," laughed the person on the other side. "Naughty, but ingenious. You get your brains from me, of course."  
 _"You_ are supposed to be rotting away in a Scottish prison somewhere," Eve hissed. "How did you get my number?"  
"Never mind how. Suffice it to say that reports of my demise have been greatly exaggerated, which, it turns out, is to your benefit."  
"My benefit...how?"  
"It's come to my attention that a Mr. Clyde Weston has made a proper nuisance of himself. Xander Cook is an old cellmate of mine. He'd like to make his displeasure known. And so, I gather, would you."  
"You've got that right."  
"Not to worry, love. Good old Uncle Drew will take care of everything."

Eve burst in through the side entrance, balancing on Rafe's arm as she hopped on one foot. "You should be in the clear now. Good luck in court."  
"Do I want to know?" Justin drawled, as Eve gave Rafe a smile.  
"I do," remarked Shane. "Where the devil have you been, Eve?"  
"She probably wanted to walk here and clear her head a bit," Kim reasoned.  
"Yeah, that's right," Eve brushed flyaway hair behind her ear. "I broke my heel in the rush."  
"Well, no time for fashion statements." Justin eyed the beckoning bailiff. "Judge Tyler is not a patient man." Justin took his place at the prosecution table while the others filed into the gallery behind him.  
Eve eyed Clyde. He sat next to the defense attorney in a gray suit jacket and light blue tie. "How can a man using a public defender afford clothes like that?" she whispered.  
Shane shrugged. "I imagine this isn't his first time in front of a judge." The bailiff boomed over them, charging Clyde Fillmore Weston with the first-degree murder of Serena Mason, the first-degree attempted murders of Paige Larson, Roman Brady, and Jack Deveraux Jr., and possession of a controlled substance.  
"I just hope the judge isn't fooled," mouthed Kim.  
"Clyde Weston isn't fooling anybody," Shane assured her, soon becoming aware of a silence in the courtroom.  
"Are we interrupting afternoon tea, Captain," barked Judge Tyler.  
"No, Your Honor."  
"Good. How do you plead, Mr. Weston?"  
"Not guilty."  
"The people are asking for remand, Your Honor," said Justin. "The defendant has known connections in Florida, where he's suspected of _yet another_ violent crime."  
"There's insufficient evidence to prove my client had any connection to that unfortunate incident," spoke the public defender.  
"You and I both know that doesn't mean squat." The venom in Eve's voice was so clear, it cut through the courtroom. "This man gets his power from watching the life leave people's eyes..." She tried to push her words past the mounting lump in her throat. "...stealing beautiful futures. If a man...if a man can do that without blinking an eye, well, we don't what else he's capable of, do we?"  
The corners of Clyde's mouth twitched. "I'll tell you one thing I'm capable of: dressing for court. You look like the biggest hillbilly I've ever seen in your stocking feet, and I'm an expert."  
"You'll be black and blue by the time I'm done with you." Eve lunged toward the defense table. "How dare you put your filthy hands around my baby girl's neck, you bastard!"  
"Order! Order in the court! Someone control that woman!" When the combined efforts of Shane and Rafe had a now crying Eve back in her seat, the judge continued, "While I cannot condone Ms. Larson's theatrics, I tend to agree with her sentiment. "Mr. Weston is hereby held without bail until trial. I urge you to prepare a victim impact statement for that time, madam. And I call on God himself to help poor Don Craig control this circus at trial. Next case."


	20. Chapter 20

Nate exhaled in frustration as he left Paige's room, concentrating so hard on the hospital tile beneath his feet that he bumped straight into someone. "Ms. Larson, I didn't see you there."  
"That's all right," Eve smiled. "How was today's session?"  
Nate bit his lip. "I did the best I could."  
"The best you could," Eve repeated. "That doesn't sound like a very promising prognosis. In fact, if I didn't know any better, Mr. Bridges, I'd say that you had given up on my Paige's case before you even got going."  
"Not me, I don't give up that easily. But I have to tell you, I can't make much progress with Paige unless she's willing to work with me."  
"Oh, she'll be willing, don't you worry. You just show up here at the same time tomorrow."  
"Good luck," shrugged Nate.  
"You are going to stop using that damn whiteboard," Eve ordered as she stomped into Paige's room. "I did not raise my daughter to be a quitter! No, I will not 'shut up,' Paige!"  
"What is going on in here?" Shane inquired from where he and Kimberly were now standing in the doorway. _"'I hate speech therapy!'"_ he read. "Oh, dear."  
"Hate it or not, you're going to keep it up!" Eve snapped, advancing toward the bed. "Will one of you back me up here?"  
Shane put a hand on Eve's shoulder. "When's the last time you slept, sweetheart?" he asked calmly. "You look exhausted. Go on, go home and get some rest. We'll stay for a while."  
"I guess I am a little tired. Fine," Eve sighed. "Fine, I'll be back later, but we are not finished with this, young lady. "  
"I'll walk you out," Shane offered.  
Kim let out a low whistle as the two of them left. "Mind if I sit?" When Paige shrugged, Kim climbed into the empty side of the bed, smiling when Paige leaned into her touch "Betcha can't wait to get out of here, huh? Sleep in your bed at the dorm, but it's scary too, isn't it? Starting over. I've done it a few times myself...Europe, Salem, LA. It's like that old Christmas special says, 'Put one foot in front of the other.' Try it. Just think of a simple word, and focus on stringing the sounds together."  
Paige's lips thinned as she thought. "Kim," she croaked quietly.  
"That's it, honey, that's wonderful!"  
"Beautiful," Shane agreed as he reentered the room.  
 _"Beautiful? Wonderful? Guys, I sound like a mutant frog! I can't stand up in court!"  
_ "Now, you listen to me," said Shane firmly. "The only monster in this story is Weston himself. Besides, speaking will get easier when your vocal chords learn to stretch again. Uh-oh..." Shane glanced at his wife, a twinkle in his eye. "Looks like your grandmother has an idea."  
"Hush," joked Kim, "I have great ideas."  
"Share with the class," said Shane.  
"I was just thinking I could teach you a way to communicate more complicated words."  
 _"You could?"  
_ "Only if you promise to keep on trying this speech therapy thing, and who knows, sign language might come in handy when you're big, fancy Dr. Larson. Ooh, it's so good to see you smile again," Kim added, accepting Paige's hug.  
"We'll have her laughing before we know it," said Shane triumphantly. "Probably at me as I keep asking someone to translate. Don't worry, darling, it will all be over soon."


End file.
